My cheeks hurtfrom smiling so much. It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if the smiling was real… But it was all forced for the cameras that were constantly going off in our faces.
They’d finally left us alone so we could eat, but apparently… You didn’t actually eat at these events— you just pretended like everything else in the elite world. I wish Donovan had let me know sooner. My stomach was growling, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I gothangry. I’d taken a few sips out of my champagne chute so there wouldn’t be circulating rumors. Or rather… it wouldn’t add fuel to the fire on the rumors that had already started.
I leaned towards Donovan as we watched others begin to fill the dance floor. Was he going to ask me to dance? It didn’t seem so as he only seemed to sink farther andfarther into his chair the more he drank from his whiskey glass. His eyes were heavy, and his smirk hardly left his lips. He looked entirely too satisfied with himself.
“How did you know I liked dahlias?” I finally got the courage to ask him.
His eyes dipped down to my cleavage and stayed there. “What are dahlias?”
“The flowers…”
“Okay?” He swirled his whiskey around in the short glass.
“The flowers you sent?”Oh man, this was not the kind of humiliation I wanted to go through tonight.
He nodded slowly as his eyes glazed over; he didn’t say anything. His gaze merely flicked away from my chest and to the other women in the room. Was this how it would always be? I fought the disdain that wanted to take over my face, but I knew it was a lost cause. If anyone got pictures of us now, they would see the heartbreak and disgust on my face and the way he was leering at the other women in the room.
He’s drunk.I tried to convince myself. But it still left me with more questions than answers. If he hadn’t sent the flowers—because he obviously hadn’t—then who had? Did he hire someone to try to woo me? That seemed to make more sense than him taking the time to know the things that I liked and didn’t.
I forced another smile, this one brittle and hollow. “Never mind,” I said, waving a hand. “Forget I asked.”
He grunted, already reaching for his glass again.
The orchestra swelled, some soft romantic number that made every other couple rise and drift to the dance floor. The women sparkled under the chandeliers, the men bowed their heads close to whisper in their ears. It looked effortless.
Envy filled my chest. “Do you dance?” I nodded toward the full dance floor. It would give something for the press to talk about, at least.
He didn’t even bother with looking at me as he shook his head. I let out a breath and pushed to stand. “I’m going to get some air.”
He grunted his response, and I didn’t bother with trying to figure it out.
The balcony was blessedly empty. The air was cool, sharp against my skin. I braced my hands on the stone railing and stared out at the glittering city below. Everything was so small and manageable from up here. I closed my eyes and leaned on the railing. Why couldn’t my life be small and manageable, too? Why did it have to be full of politics and forced smiles?
Inside, the music shifted again—something slower and heavier. I could see Donovan through the glass doors, talking to a woman I didn’t know. His hand rested casually on her bare arm as he laughed at something she said. He no longer looked drunk or bored.
The sight should have stung and made me upset. All it caused was an exhaustion to settle into my limbs. All I wanted was to go home and be a couch potato, but I couldn’t even do that. Not with Ivan lurking aroundbecause, as much as I trusted him… I didn’t want him to see me being a bum.
The glass doors behind me opened for a second, and the sound of laughter and soft music met my ears. I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t force the mask back on yet.
My phone buzzed against my clutch.
Unknown Number
You should really eat something and maybe get a nap. You look tired.
My heart jumped, stupid and traitorous. Of course, it washim.
I typed back before I could talk myself out of it.
How do you even know that?
A pause. Then?—
Ivan
I have eyes everywhere. You really think I was going to trust Donovan’s goons with your safety? I’m pretty sure their headpieces don’t even work.
I huffed a soft laugh, half a sigh, and looked over my shoulder at the security camera posted in the corner of the ceiling. He was obviously tapped into the security system here. My phone buzzed again, and I glanced down at it.
